Sir Thomas Hanmer has a true critical genius, and has done great things in this Author; so you may expect to see a very extraordinary edition of its kind. I intend to draw up and prefix to it a just and complete critique on Shakespeare and his Works.

neral character of Shakespeare and his writings prefixed, will give the rules which he observed in correcting his Author, and a large Glossary. We shall give the Reader a specimen of this intended edition in several curious remarks, which this excellent Critic has communicated to us, and which we shall introduce by way of illustration on Mr. Pope's admirable character of our Poet; who, in his Preface to the Edition, observes, that Shakespeare, notwithstanding his defects, is justly and universally elevated above all other Dramatic Writers. If ever any Author deserved the name of an original, it was he. Homer himself drew not his art so immediately from the fountains of Nature; it proceeded through Egyptian strainers and channels, and came to him not without some tincture of the learning, or some cast of the models, of those before him. The Poetry of Shakespeare was inspiration indeed: he is not so much an imitator, as an instrument of Nature; and it is not so just to say that he speaks from her, as that she speaks through him. His characters are so much Nature herself, that it is a sort of injury to call them by so distant a name as copies of her. Those of other Poets have a constant resemblance, which shews that they received them from one another, and were but multipliers of the same image; each picture, like a mock-rainbow, is but a reflection of a reflection. But every single character in Shakespeare is as much an individual, as those in life itself: it was impossible to find any two alike; and such as from their relation or affinity in any respect appear to be twins, will upon comparison be found remarkably distinct."-This announcement of Mr. Warburton's intended Edition was thus followed up by another Friend, in "The History of the Works of the Learned" for 1740: "No Author has had a greater honour reflected on him by his Editors than Shakespeare. Among these we may reckon a sublime genius, who is one of the principal ornaments of this age, and of the British Nation. The Reader need not be told, that it is Mr. Pope, whom I intend by this character. But, as the Works of our Dramatic Poet have merit enough to engage the concern even of this celebrated person, so it is certain that they extremely needed it, on account of the almost innumerable corruptions by which, through one means or other, they have been depraved. By his care and sagacity many of these have been removed or amended, and the guilty causes of them assigned. Shakespeare has been in a good measure restored to his original purity, and his admirers are no Jonger at a loss to account for that surprizing inconsistency with

There is a book, published two or three years, in 4to, called "An Inquiry into the Nature of the Human Soul." It is a master-piece in its kind. I am told it is wrote by one Baxter *. I wish you could which he was wont to be charged, of being, in many instances, one of the most judicious, and, with regard to others, one of the most nonsensical Writers in the world. However, after all that the incomparable Mr. Pope, the ingenious Mr. Rowe, and the plodding Mr. Theobald, have done to cleanse and restore him to his native lustre, there still remain in him many faults to be amended, and a thousand graces which have never yet been displayed. In truth, both of these were so multifarious, that it required the joint endeavours of many (and those of the ablest) hands, to rectify the one, and to explicate the other; therefore, we are not to wonder, if men of consummate ability still think their talents very worthily employed in so laudable a task. Accordingly the Rev. Mr. Warburton has bestowed thereon some of those leisure hours which he could spare from the duties of his sacred function! He is determined to add his labours to those of that illustrious Critic and the others above-named, in removing the blemishes and exemplifying the beauties of this inestimable Author, which did not fall under their consideration; so that we are like to be shortly furnished with a more complete and accurate Edition of his Writings than has hitherto been published." The specimens are then repeated, from the "General Dictionary," to the extent of 34 octavo pages.-Mr. Warburton's anxiety and adroitness on this subject will appear in pp. 96—110. *This ingenious Metaphysician and Natural Philosopher, whom Mr. Warburton so warmly commends, was born in 1686, or 1687, at Old Aberdeen, in Scotland, of which city his father was a merchant, and educated in King's College there. His principal employment was that of a private tutor to young gentlemen; and among other of his pupils were Lord Grey, Lord Blantyre, and Mr. Hay of Drummelzier. About 1724, he married the daughter of Mr. Mebane, a clergyman in the shire of Berwick. A few years after he published, in 4to, "An Enquiry into the Nature of the Human Soul, wherein its Immateriality is evinced from the Principles of Reason and Philosophy;" without any date. In 1741, he went abroad with Mr. Hay, and resided some years at Utrecht; having there also Lord Blantyre under his care. He made excursions from thence into Flanders, France, and Germany; his wife and family residing in the mean time chiefly at Berwick-upon-Tweed. He returned to Scotland in 1747, and resided till his death at Whittingham, in the shire of East Lothian. He drew up, for the use of his pupils and his son, "Matho, sive, Cosmotheoria puerilis, Dialogus. In quo prima elementa de mundi ordine et ornatu proponuntur," &c. of which only 30 copies were printed. This was afterwards greatly enlarged, and published in English, in two volumes, Svo. In 1750 he pub

inform me who he is, and where he is; for he appears to me a very extraordinary person. I could wish, for the sake of the noble truths he teaches us, it had. not the dead weight of the Sixth Section.

The Booksellers of Geneva, who published the Dictionary of Calmet, promised that, if Calmet made any Additions to it, as he then threatened, they would print them separately; in confidence of which, I bought that edition. Calmet has since been as good as his word. I want to know whether the Booksellers have been as good as theirs: and, if they have, how I may get the Additions: not but there is too much trumpery already, but I am consulting my Executor's advantage, not my own.

lished "An Appendix to his Enquiry into the Nature of the Human Soul," wherein he endeavours to remove some difficulties which had been started against his notions of the "vis inertiæ" of matter, by Maclaurin, in his " Account of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophical Discoveries." To this piece Mr. Baxter prefixed a Dedication to Mr. Wilkes, afterwards so well known in the political world. Mr. Baxter died this year, April the 23d, after suffering for some months under a complication of disorders, of which the gout was the chief; and was buried in the family vault of Mr. Hay, at Whittingham. Some judicious re marks on his Works may be seen in Mr. A. Chalmers's Edition of the "Biographical Dictionary," vol. IV. p. 188.

The following Letters were addressed to Mr. Wilkes, with whom Mr. Baxter had commenced an acquaintance abroad, and with whom he carried on a friendly correspondence till his own death: “MY DEAREST MR. WILKES, Whittingham, Nov... 1749. "I have employed my time, of late, in considering the difference, or controversy, between the English and Foreign Philosophers, concerning the force of bodies moving in free spaces; which in its consequence spreads far and wide through Natural Philosophy. I have shewn demonstratively, that the experiments brought by the Foreign Philosophers to establish their new theory are applicable entirely to the English computation, which they beautifully illustrate; and that these learned gentlemen have quite mistaken them. We talked much of this, you may remember, in the Capuchins' garden at Spa. I have finished the prima

cura of it, in the dialogue way; and design to inscribe it to my dear John Wilkes; whom, under a borrowed name, I have made one of the interlocutors. If you are against this whim (which a passionate love to you has made me conceive), I will drop it.

If the Author of "The Characteristicks" comes in amongst the Lives in your Dictionary, it will oblige the publick, to explain the causes of that strange rancour and disgust that he appears (by a great many places of his Work) to bear to Mr. Locke and his "Essay." It the more surprized me, because Mr. Locke had been his tutor, and his grandfather's particular friend; and Le Clerc, who was well acquainted with both, seems, when he wrote the Life of Locke, not to have been apprehensive of any thing of this matter. Perhaps it is not every one that reads "The Characteristicks" that discovers this outrage to Mr. Locke.

I see in a Catalogue of French Books the Memoirs of Talon, that was Advocate-General of the. Court of the Parliament of Paris, and afterwards

In the mean time I shall publish an Appendix to the Enquiry, which you must give me leave to inscribe to you in the following manner:

"TO JOHN WILKES, of Aylesbury, in the County of

Buckingham, Esquire.

"SIR, The subject of our conversation in the Capuchins' garden at Spa, in the summer of 1745, still lies by me in the dress it was first put in. I have not leisure, at present, to prepare it for the public view. In the interim, I send you the following sheets, as a token of my sincere respect. It is a pleasure to think on the time we spent so agreeably together.

"I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,

AND. BAXTER."

"MY DEAREST MR. WILKES, Whittingham, Jan. 29, 1750. "Your letter of December 12, 1749, alarmed me, by hearing you had had such a dangerous fall from your horse. Moderate exercise is good: but dangerous exercise, such as riding a fiery horse, is not commendable: and if you would oblige Mrs. Wilkes, if you would oblige all your friends, and all good men (who conceive great hopes from you), you will be more cautious for the future. We had a terrible instance in the newspapers lately, of a man who got his death by such a fall.

"As to altering any thing in the address to you before the Appendix, I durst not do it without your participation; unless you had suggested something which you would have changed; and by this time, I suppose, it is published. I wish you and Mrs. Wilkes all possible prosperity, and am, &c. AND. BAXTER."

Pre

President à Mortier. They are lately published, and I do not find them mentioned in any of the Foreign Journals that I have seen. Pray what character do they bear?

I do not know whether you have had, or intend to have, an article in your Dictionary of Lord Clarendon. Though that foolish fellow Oldmixon betrayed his ignorance, his malice, and his calumny, about the adulteration of that History; and though I believe there were no additions to it; yet I am inIclined to think there were some omissions. One very momentous one, I am sure, I can shew with great clearness in another kind of way than he dreamt of. If it will be of any use to you in that Work, it shall be at your service.

St. Austin's Works are, or were, lately printing at Venice. The Booksellers, I think, proposed that the Seventh Tome, which contained his " De Civitate Dei," should be sold separately. I wonder whether it be out, and to be bought in town.

I am, dear Sir, your very affectionate humble servant and friend, W. WARBURTON.

LETTER IV.

To the Rev. Mr. THOMAS BIRCH.

Nov. 24, 1737.

DEAR SIR, In compliance to your request, I shall throw together a few scattered remarks, as they come into my head, without any manner of order, concerning Milton's Character, and his Writings.

Toland was a poor creature in all respects, and never manifested his malignity and folly more than in the Life of Milton.

There is one egregious instance of it you will do well to avoid. He represents Milton's moral character,